SECRET
SECRET
FM FCO
HUKBB 011/2 НКВ
2 1 DEC 1987
TO DESKBY 18010OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 3298
OF 17154OZ DECEMBER 871
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
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TOP COPY Q DIST ?
736011/2.
063505
MDHOAN 5206
YOUR TELNO 4781: WHITE PAPER TIMETABLE: DRAFT ANNOTATED OUTLINE
OF THE WHITE PAPER
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·
THE OUTLINE IN TUR IS MOST HELPFUL. WE APPRECIATE THAT IT DOES NOT INCORPORATE THE FINAL LANGUAGE THAT WILL BE USED, BUT HAVE A NUMBER OF COMMENTS AS FOLLOWS:
(A)
CHAPTER I(C), SECOND SENTENCE. WE SUGGEST THAT, WHILE IT MAY BE PRUDENT TO NOTE THE CRITICISM OF THE FORMAT OF THE GREEN PAPER, YOU NEED NOT BE TOO DEFENSIVE IN DEALING WITH IT.
CHAPTER I (C) AND (D):
(B)
REFERENCES TO VIEWS QUOTE SET OUT
UNQUOTE AND QUOTE EXPRESSED UNQUOTE. WE ARE NOT SURE WHETHER
THESE ARE QUITE ACCURATE IN DESCRIBING WHAT THE REPORT DOES:
PERHAPS QUOTE RECORDED UNQUOTE WOULD BE BETTER.
(C)
CHAPTER I(D) (I):
IN ADDITION TO THE STEP BY STEP
APPROACH, WE THINK IT WOULD BE WORTH REFERRING TO THE NEED FOR
CAUTION AND PRUDENCE.
(D)
CHAPTER I. WE WONDER WHETHER IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO
REFER ALSO TO THE QUOTE OTHER FACTORS UNQUOTE WHICH WE HAVE SAID
WILL BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN ADDITION TO THE REPORT. THIS MIGHT
HELP PREVENT CRITICS FROM PURSUING THE ARGUMENT THAT THE WHITE
PAPER DOES NOT ACCURATELY REFLECT THE VIEWS IN THE REPORT. (BUT WE
UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE ALSO RISKS)
(E)
CHAPTER III(C): WOULD IT BE HELPFUL TO REFER SPECIFICALLY
TO THE PROMULGATION OF THE BL IN 1990? ALTHOUGH THIS NEED NOT BE
DIRECTLY LINKED TO DECISIONS ON TIMING, IT COULD BE PRESENTED
IMPLICITLY AS A RELEVANT ELEMENT. THIS POINT NEEDS TO BE HANDLED
CAREFULLY: MARTIN LEE HAS POINTED OUT IN HIS LETTER TO THE PRIME
MINISTER THAT IF WE CAN DECIDE NOW ON THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT
ELECTIONS IN 1991 AND IF SUCH A DECISION IS IN ANTICIPATION OF
WHAT THE BL WILL PROVIDE, THEN WE COULD ALSO ON THESE GROUNDS INTRODUCE DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1988 IF WE WERE SO DETERMINED.
(F)
/
CHAPTER III(C): WE SHOULD ALSO CONSIDER AT AN EARLY STA
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